The Companion Mage
by Songbird15
Summary: Having lost their connection to the physical world, the exguardians of the Forest of Sorrows choose to continue the cycle of rebirth, reincarnating as a pair of Companions colts. However, it seems that destiny is not finished with them yet.


Disclaimer/Author's Note: Velgarth, Valdemar, the Companions, Haven and all of that stuff belongs to the brilliant author, Mercedes Lackey. Even the main characters in this story are not as original as they may seem. Only this fanfic itself is mine, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has come up with at least some of the ideas used in it. Honestly, I shouldn't even be writing it. I _should_ be working on my _own_ novel, but this plot has been floating around in my head for far too long, so I had to do something about it. However, if this fic goes slow or stalls completely, it will most likely be because of said novel o' mine. Still, I hope you enjoy my little addition to the Valdemar fandom. Reviews will probably inspire me to write faster, by the way.

The Companion-Mage

by Dreamseeker

Chapter One: New Life

To the Heralds in Haven, it was just two more new Companions born. A joyous event, to be sure, but not really that unusual. Some thought it was interesting that two Companion mares had given birth on the day after Sovvan, but none of them paid that much attention to it. To the Companions, however, it was different.

:.Should we send word to Sayvil?.: asked Jasan, King Daren's Companion. :.She will be delighted to meet them.:

One of the new mothers, named Elsa, shook her head. :.Let's surprise her. Or let _them_ surprise her.: She then nuzzled her sleeping newborn son lovingly, casting a glance to her friend Mabe and the other colt who had been born that day. Unlike her foal, Mabe's was nursing quite greedily for one only a few hours out of the womb, standing on long, wobbly white legs. Mabe caught her glance and met it. Though weary and still damp with sweat, both mares looked smug. Neither of them had known the bodies that their foals spirits had previously embodied, but everyone knew the stories about them. That alone was enough to warrant Mabe and especially Elsa's pride, but there was even more to it than that. Yet again, her child's soul was set with a great predetermined destiny, whether he liked it or not.

:.I'll check with Rolan.: said Jasan. There was a pause, then:.he says it's all right not to tell her right away. He expects her to be their mentor, naturally, but it won't make a difference since she's not here right now anyway.:

:.Why did she have to leave, anyway? I thought her Herald was stationed here..:

Jasan gave the equine equivalent of a shrug. :.Kerowyn decided to take some of her most promising students out on some sort of field trip. They will be gone for a month.:

:.Oh well. That just gives these two time to "wake up" a little so they can surprise her properly.:

The stallion laughed and nodded. :.Good point. I can't wait to see the look on her face...:

The next morning dawned bright and cloudless, and quite warm for the middle of Autumn. There had not even been a frost yet. The grass was still green, and few bugs still buzzed and fluttered about. In fact, it was a butterfly that landed on the tip of the colt's muzzle and awakened him. His mother was still asleep. She had been worried the day before, because, after learning to stand and nurse, he had slept the entire day and all through the night. Well, birth was tough for the child as well as the mother, his young mind said to itself in not so many words. Technically no words at all, but that was beside the point.

Yesterday had been rather hectic, which was why he had slept so much. I mean, really, what's more exhausting than being shoved out of the warm, safe, cozy womb you've lived in since before you had a brain to think with and into a vast, bright, colorful, noisy, overwhelming world that you've never seen before, then realizing that you have in fact not only seen it before, you have already been born, grown up, lived, fought, loved, died, and then hung around for something like five hundred years as a ghost in it before?

Yes, the colt thought he had a very good excuse for wanting to just go to sleep for a good long while instead of struggling with his still very young and undeveloped brain to understand it all. But now it was morning, and though he did try, he simply could not get back to sleep, so he opened his big blue eyes, lifted his small, adorable head and took in his surroundings. Part of him wanted to think everything through and find out exactly what the situation was, but the rest of him was only just a newborn baby and was starting not to like that more mature part of him because it was giving him a headache. Realizing this, that part of him shut up and let the baby take over, for now. He was hungry. His mother was still asleep, so he gave her a soft but insistent nudge in the side with his muzzle, and when she didn't respond, he did it again. She lifted her head, blinking sleepily, and then perked up when she realized it was her son who had wakened her. She wished him a good morning along with a few other mind-spoken words of endearment, then stood and allowed him to nurse.

Elsa sent a tendril of thought to Mabe, who was curled protectively around her own colt, but the other mare was sleeping as soundly as her child, so she let them be. She very much wanted to see their sons meet and interact, but she knew that the beginning of a Companion's life could be quite overwhelming without that sort of addition to the general confusion. Those who were reincarnated from Heralds or Companions who had lived previously were born with all the memories of that past life or lives packed into the mind of a newborn. Normally they just ignored those memories until they were mature enough to fully understand them, but because her and Mabe had given birth at the same time in the same place, and their offspring were who they were, it could very well be more difficult for them, or at least more complicated.

The first several days were a blur to the newborns, comprised of eating, sleeping, learning to walk and run quickly, and being taught other basics by their mothers. Despite Elsa's concerns, the colts both seemed to realize that they simply could not deal with their pasts yet, and pushed the memories to the backs of their minds. For now, that knowledge was out of the way, but not forgotten. This was evident in their first real meeting. Elsa and Mabe could not help but watch in quiet wonder as the two little white figures walked towards each other with deliberate steps, only stopping when their noses were touching. They looked into each others' eyes for a long moment in almost the same way an adult Companion does with his or her Chosen, then, slow and unhurried, they began something that was a mix between a game and a show of a affection, consisting of little nudges, nuzzles and soft nips upon each others' muzzles, ears, necks and shoulders. Elsa felt her heart swell at the pure love, adoration and innocence that they expressed. After a while, the two little foals found the most comfortable patch of grass and lied down together, curling around and over each other like kittens, and fell asleep.

Mabe's foal pranced in a circle around the sleeping form of his best friend excitedly, mind-speaking:.Yelvan, wake up already! She's here!.:

The other colt finally opened his eyes and lifted his head off the ground, squinting and blinking rapidly in the pastel light of morning. :.Wha...?.: he grumbled in the other's mind, .:go back to sleep, Tylan. It's barely sunrise.:

The more lively of the two rolled his own blue eyes and stomped one delicate-looking hoof impatiently. :.But didn't you hear me? Sayvil's here! We can finally meet her!.:

This time, Yelvan's eyes snapped fully open and he scrambled up, suddenly, just as excited as Ty. :.Where is she? Does she know about us yet?:.

:.No. She only just got back. Come on! She's in the stable!.: The two young foals took off across the Field, racing each other, their minds filled with laughter. When they neared the stable, though, Yelvan, caught Tylan's tail in his mouth and tugged, halting his friend's headlong dash and leading him on a detour around to the side of the building. :.Let's wait until she comes out and sneak up behind her,.: he suggested playfully.

At this point, they had both fully acknowledged who they had been, but they still had the minds of foals and were quite willing to take advantage of that. Being a carefree child was infinitely easier than being some sort of hero, after all.

Tylan pressed one velvety, pointed ear to the wall to see if he could hear what was going on more clearly, while Yelvan peered cautiously around the corner at the wide entrance. They kept those poses for a minute or two, then Yel jerked back and tried to flatten his body into the wall, Tylan doing the same behind him. Soon, their quarry came into view, a seasoned mare meandering back to the Field, freshly groomed and probably looking forward to a bit of grazing and a nice nap. But Yel and Ty had other ideas.

They probably thought they were being quiet, but Sayvil heard every step the two foals behind her made, though she wondered who they were and what exactly they were up to. She chose to ignore them. Maybe they'd leave her alone if she didn't react to their little game.

No such luck.

In unison, the colts jumped forward to either side of her, practically radiating mischief. She paused, but before she could shoo them away or ask what they wanted, the one on her right said in a sly, cheerful, and new yet all too familiar mind-voice:.Heyla, Aunt Sayvil.:

and the one on the left added:.Did you miss us?.:

Sayvil was stunned. It took her several seconds to get out a coherent response. :.Wha...? You... but... how...: She realized that she'd been holding her breath and inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. :.When did _you two _get here?!.:

Tylan wickered in laughter while Yelvan explained smugly:.Well, after we helped stop the Mage Storms, we lost our link to the physical world. We couldn't go back to guarding the forest, and we were getting pretty sick of that anyway, so we chose this.: It was really an answer to _how _they had got there, but that was the real question. 'When' was fairly obvious by their young age. :.By the way, our names are Yelvan and Tylan now.:

She took a moment to absorb all of this, watching as Tylan moved to join Yelvan and face her. She couldn't help but notice how cute they were just then, a pair of one-month-old white colts, gangly-legged and velvety-furred, with huge, shining blue eyes that looked up at her with the innocent happiness of young children shadowed by the deeper joy of their reunion. :._Tylan?_.: she repeated the name, sounding it out carefully. :.So the Tayledras were right. You were Stef... _and_ 'Lendel.:

Ty nodded, though it had been a statement, not a question.

:.Yes,.: said Yelvan:.I figured that out right before I died, and he right after his own death. I was a little surprised that I hadn't realized it before. There were so many clues, but I passed them off as coincidence..: Affectionately, he hooked his wedge-shaped head over Ty's neck, still looking up at Sayvil with a smile in his eyes if not on his equine face. Tylan rubbed his head against the underside of his lifebonded's neck in something between a nuzzle and a headbutt, and Sayvil regarded them fondly, then looked up as another Companion approached. It was Rolan.

:.All right, you three, I know you are happy to see each other again, but you know you are not supposed to dwell too much on past lives unless we need the information from your memories to help our Chosen or Valdemar. I encourage your friendship and lifebond, but keep in mind that you are Sayvil, Yelvan and Tylan, not Savil, Vanyel and Stefan or Tylendel. The lives you have now are more important than those you have lost. You understand.:

The colts gave sharp, alert nods while Sayvil dipped her head more slowly. :.We understand.: she affirmed.

Rolan returned the nod and then turned away, departing at a regal trot to wherever he had been headed before stopping for the gentle scolding. The three knew that he meant no harm, and that he was right.

:.Oh,.: Yelvan said then:.Mother said that Rolan wants you to be our teacher, Sayvil.:

:.Does he? I suppose that makes sense.: Her voice held a wry smile. :.So who are your mothers? Wait. If I remember correctly, the only two mares who were pregnant when I left were Mabe and... Ah yes. Elsa.:

:.That's right. Elsa's my mother and Mabe is Ty's.:

:.I'll have to congratulate them, then. Mind escorting me? Oh, and you two...: she said before they could bound away in all of their youthful jubilance. She bent her long neck down and touched noses with Tylan and then Yelvan in turn. :.Even if Rolan scolds me again, I must say that I missed you both very much.:

They reached up together to nuzzle her like a pair of children might reach up to give their favorite aunt a hug or a kiss, which was pretty much the case. :.We missed you, too.:


End file.
